As he takes leave of Sita, Hanuman asks for a token that he can present to Sri Ram as proof that he had indeed found her. Sita obliges by narrating a story known only to herself and the lord. Once, while staying in a hermitage close to the Mandakini River, Lord Ram lay resting upon Sita’s lap, delighting in the cool shade of tangled tree canopies. A crow, greedy for flesh, approaches Sita and begins to peck at her. Responding in pain, Mother Sita throws a mound of dirt, forcing it to retreat. The crow of evil intentions attacks again, pecking at Mother Sita. In a tearful state, she withdraws into the arms of Sri Ram, and they both fall asleep, temporarily rid of the nuisance.

As Sita wakes up, she finds the crow staring at her. He fiercely claws at her bosom, causing droplets of her blood to fall on Sri Ram’s forehead, which awakens him. Infuriated at the sight of Sita’s wounds, looking around, Sri Ram’s eyes fall upon the crow sitting on a tree, its eyes still focused upon Sita, and its claws dripping with blood. Greatly enraged by the crow’s audacity and fuming with anger like a volcano, Sri Ram makes a resolve. Drawing a blade of Kusha grass from his mat and endowing it with the power of Brahma’s missile, he sends it after the crow.

The crow flees in dread, and it is said that the crow traverses the whole universe and over the three worlds, seeking asylum. He approaches the greatest rishis and even his father, Indra, but is rejected by all, on knowing the arrow has been fired by the mighty Ram. In the end, Kakasura returns hopelessly to Sri Ram and Sita and falls at their gracious feet. Moved by his remorse, the compassionate mother wants the fiend to be let off. The Lord states that Brahma’s weapon cannot be rendered ineffectual. But ever compassionate, he redirects it to the crow’s right eye, blinding it, but saving its life.

When one is wrong and hurts another deliberately, or even otherwise, one must find the courage to make amends and offer one's sincerest apologies. This disburdens the offender and helps him to find solace in the repentance for his actions. One must also remember that when one genuinely repents for his wrong actions, he must be graciously forgiven just as Sita did.

When one genuinely repents for his wrong actions, he must be graciously forgiven just as Sita did.

Ram, who spared Kakasura on Sita’s request